Going 100mph-plus in an antique ice yacht can make ordinary sailing feel downright pedestrian

I had no idea there are such a "things" as iceboats until I read this story on Forbes.com. Sailing on a frozen lake? Definitely not my idea of recreational sailing. In any case, this is a very interesting article. Enjoy!

Shiver Me Timbers
by Daniel Fisher

More than just a frisson of fear shivered through the crew of Deuce when this hulking, 1930s-vintage iceboat found itself caught by a sudden gust of wind on a Wisconsin lake a few years ago. A crew member watched on a handheld global positioning system unit as the 54-foot craft accelerated past 119mph, at which point he dropped the GPS so he could hold on with both hands.

"We were in fear for our lives," says Deuce owner Richard Hennig, a 6-foot-6 machine-shop owner who doesn't look as if he needs to be afraid of anything. At 100mph, he says, Deuce loses whatever grace she once possessed and starts to handle more like a forklift careening across a skating rink. "You don't know who's in control," says Hennig.

But oh, what fun. > more